Independence and Far West Missouri

On Tuesday morning, April 2nd, we left St. Louis and traveled across the state to Independence Missouri.  Our first stop was at the LDS visitors center located at the temple site.  We got a wonderful tour of the visitors center that included a couple of movies and visual presentations about the conditions that the Saints were under at the time that they were in Independence.  The temple site is very unusual in that besides the LDS visitor's center we share the lot with two other denominations: the RLDS church (now the Community of Christ Church) which has two huge buildings on the site including their world headquarters and a temple, and another mormon breakoff - The Church of Christ-temple lot which has a small church closest to the purported actual site of the temple.

After we visited the visitor's center we went to the Church of Christ building first.  We entered the church and discovered that they were in the middle of some meeting.  We sat in the foyer waiting for a tour.  Eventually, a kindly old man came out and spoke to us.  He said the meeting was part of their general conference and that they had just nominated a new apostle.  He told us about the church's most famous artifacts which were on display in the foyer.  These were two stones that had been discovered that they believed were the proposed cornerstones of the temple.  As we talked with him, we could hear that they were ratifying the vote and we were concerned that he would want to be included.  However, he didn't seem all that interested in returning to the conference because he had known the person since he was a little boy.  He said the church had about 3-5 thousand members in the world with most of the members outside the U.S. in the Phillippines.  He himself had been to the Phillippines five times for missionary work, although he couldn't speak tagalog.

The Church of Christ-Temple Lot
is the small white building on the back

The two stones that were found and that are now on display in the church's foyer.
SECT they believe means South East Corner of Temple

Where the stone was found
(the building in the back is the Community of Christ  headquarters building)

This was where they think another corner of the temple will be.

We then headed over to the Community of Christ headquarters but couldn't find an open entrance.  However, we did find a sign that said the tours begin at the temple.  So we walked over there and went inside.  We found a rather stern lady who gave us each a hand held self guiding tour device and a map and said we should could just follow the tour.  The tour through the "Path of Peace" seemed more in line with a protestant religions and hardly mentioned Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon.  The tour eventually wound through the building to the inner sanctuary that was very impressive.  It was a large 1500 seat chapel with a huge pipe organ and a spiral ceiling that went up very high with a Nautilus design (crab shell).  We then went into the museum where we found a very nice gentleman with a huge neck brace.  He showed us around the museum which included the actual door of the Liberty Jail and several portraits of Joseph and Emma, and of course their children who went on to become the founders of their church.  We talked about the differences between our churches and he was very complimentary of our missionary program and of Dieter F. Uchtdorf who had come by for a visit and would be "welcomed any time".  He said that the decision to elect women to the priesthood and to be elders in the church didn't go over very well, and that he himself had voted against it (along with half the members).  He did conclude by saying that his wife, who is now an elder, and was the stern lady that we had met could really give a great sermon using Chicken Soup for the Soul.

The Community of Christ Temple
this is across the street from the LDS Visitors Center (on the North)
and the Church of Christ Temple Lot (on the East)
and kitty corner to their headquarters building

We left the temple site and went to our hotel which was a dump across the street from both the Kansas City Royals ballpark and the Kansas City Chiefs stadium dropped off our suitcases then headed out to see the LDS Temple and Liberty Jail.   The Temple was beautiful (it was dedicated just a year ago).  Liberty Jail was a little tougher to find because it's kind of in a residential neighborhood.  The jail itself has been reconstructed and is inside a small rotunda.  We had a great sister missionary who the girls thought reminded them of a slightly older Abby-Kate.  I thought Liberty Jail was a real highlight.

Cut out of the reconstructed Liberty Jail.
Notice how thick the walls are!

Front of Libery Jail.  
When Joseph was lead into the jail.  He stopped and said just three words.  Do you know what they were?

The next morning we left Independence for Nauvoo, IL, but not before making a few stops along the way.

Far West, Missouri (Temple site)

One of the four cornerstones that were laid for the Far West Temple

Adam-Ondi-Ahman

This is the millstone from Haun's Mill.   Currently Haun's Mill is inaccessible.
However, this millstone has been placed in a small park nearby as a memorial.

Easter in St. Louis

For spring break this year we decided to do a church history trip and  visit some of the places that we have heard about for years.   Although there wasn't much church history there, we started in St. Louis because it was a central point that was easy to get to and relatively inexpensive.  We left at 5 o'clock on Easter morning because our assigned seats on American Airlines suddenly became unassigned.  Luckily we didn't have an issue getting seats all together as we flew first to Dallas-Forth Worth than on to St. Louis.  In the Dallas airport, Mckay wanted something to reminder of Texas so she bought some dill pickle seasoned potato chips.  So for now on Texas will always be forever known as the dill pickle state (at least in our family).   When we arrived in St. Louis we picked up our rental car and headed off to the Union Station Hotel which proved to be pretty grand considering we only paid $60 bucks a night.  The hotel was the centerpiece of the old St. Louis train station that had been revitalized into a mall-hotel venue.  The weird thing was that when we arrived in the late afternoon, the mall was closed as was virtually everything downtown.  Take a close look at the pictures and you will see that we were virtually alone.  St. Louis was like a ghost town on Easter Sunday.  The streets were nearly empty.  It was actually pretty cool just walking around and having no one bother us.  The next day we got up and went to the St. Louis Arch, took a trip down the Mississippi river on an authentic river boat, and visited the St. Louis Science Center and the St. Louis Zoo.  We left St. Louis on Tuesday morning and made one final stop at the St. Louis Temple before heading off to Independence Missouri and the start of our church history tour.

Outside our hotel

Inside Union Station

Easter Sunday afternoon and downtown is empty

The day before Opening Day (although the Cardinals opened in Phoenix)

This was the only restaurant open near us for dinner.
Nothing says Easter like the Hard Rock Cafe.

This is the round capsule-elevator that you take to the top of the arch.
It's designed to fit five adults. Yeah, right.

At the Top of the Arch looking out the small windows.

Jumping for joy directly below the Arch.

Our river boat the Tom Sawyer.

On the Mississippi River.  

Monday the temperatures dropped to the low 40's.

We loved the zoo, and the best part is that it's free!

Me and a Sloth Bear.   We could be twins.

Hey, don't you go to BYU?

St. Louis Temple

Sweet Sixteen

Mckay celebrated her sweet sixteenth birthday yesterday.  She had a great day which started with donuts at Seminary.  We decorated the house, rented a big 15 passenger van, and took a bunch of her friends out for a fun evening around town.  We started at Islands for burgers and fries, then went to Westwood Village for ice cream sandwiches at Diddy Riese, then a walk around the lights at the Temple before coming home and opening presents.  In between was a lot of laughing, singing, and having fun.  Happy Birthday Mckay, we love you!

The Color Run

We went to San Diego and had a great time at the Color Run 5K.   There were 15,000 runners in the morning and another 15,000 in the afternoon.   Jill and Mckay "ran" it, although it was more like a walk, while Maddy and I supported them by taking pictures and throwing color packets at the finish line.

 After running through the first of four color stations. (Pink, Yellow, Orange, Blue)

Having fun in the middle of the race.

 The blue station

 Walking past the blue station

 At the finish line

 Jumping for joy

 The color festival at the end of the race.

July 4th Weekend

Today is July 4th.  We are so thankful for the liberties and freedoms we enjoy.  This morning we're going to the Ward breakfast this morning at Anderson Park, probably the beach this afternoon, followed by fireworks at El Segundo.

We have already had lots of fun this weekend.  On Friday night we decided celebrate Maddy's 12th birthday because we will be out of town on her real birthday in a few weeks.  She had a slumber party with several of her friends.  We ate at El Tarasco, then the girls made fun picture frames, before watching a movie and staying up way too late.  The next morning we all had a fun breakfast of crepes, fruit, and whip cream.  She opened her big present and was thrilled to get a new beach cruiser.  That was followed by a fun time at the beach and playing in the water.

Two weeks ago me and Maddy went to Las Vegas for the weekend while Jill and Mckay were in Washington D.C. and New York.  We hooked up with Alana and Josh and had a really fun weekend.  We went to the M&M store, went swimming in the hotel's lazy river, at dinner at the Venetian, and saw the play Phantom of the Opera.  Good times!!!